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Good Mourning
In this funny, insightful memoir, a young socialite risks social suicide when she takes a job at a legendary funeral chapel on New York Citys Upper East Side.Good Mourning offers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most famous funeral homes in the country where not even big money can protect you from the universal experience of grieving.
It's Gossip Girl meets Six Feet Under, told from the unique perspective of a fashionista turned funeral planner.
Elizabeth Meyer stumbled upon a career in the midst of planning her own father's funeral, which she turned into an upbeat party with Rolling Stones music, thousands of dollars worth of her mother's favorite flowers, and a personalized eulogy. Starting out as a receptionist, Meyer quickly found she had a knack for helping people cope with their grief, as well as creating fitting send-offs for some of the city's most high-powered residents.
Meyer has seen it all: two women who found out their deceased husband (yes, singular) was living a double life, a famous corpse with a missing brain, and funerals that cost more than most weddings. By turns illuminating, emotional, and darkly humorous, Good Mourning is a lesson in how the human heart grieves and grows, whether you're wearing this season's couture or drug-store flip-flops.
It's Gossip Girl meets Six Feet Under, told from the unique perspective of a fashionista turned funeral planner.
Elizabeth Meyer stumbled upon a career in the midst of planning her own father's funeral, which she turned into an upbeat party with Rolling Stones music, thousands of dollars worth of her mother's favorite flowers, and a personalized eulogy. Starting out as a receptionist, Meyer quickly found she had a knack for helping people cope with their grief, as well as creating fitting send-offs for some of the city's most high-powered residents.
Meyer has seen it all: two women who found out their deceased husband (yes, singular) was living a double life, a famous corpse with a missing brain, and funerals that cost more than most weddings. By turns illuminating, emotional, and darkly humorous, Good Mourning is a lesson in how the human heart grieves and grows, whether you're wearing this season's couture or drug-store flip-flops.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
December 10, 2020
Rich Privileged Socialite gets a job as...a Funeral Planner?
Part gossip column, part chicken soup for the soul - this book had it all.
When Elizabeth Meyer had to plan her own father's funeral, she felt a strong connection to the funeral parlor.
And, while wallowing in grief, she decided to apply for a job.
As. A. Funeral. Planner.
I know, right?
After all, everyone always said she threw the best parties - why not put all that experience to good use?
Meyer shows how down-to-earth it is working with the dead (ha).
This is a quick and easy read about the quirky and weird habits of the overly rich and overly dead. There was intrigue, there were scandals and there were plenty of petty snarks.
She manages to convey the ridiculousness of the rich while maintaining how human death truly makes us all.
If you are squeamish about death - try this book on for size. It does a great job of easing you into it without turning your stomach.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Part gossip column, part chicken soup for the soul - this book had it all.
When Elizabeth Meyer had to plan her own father's funeral, she felt a strong connection to the funeral parlor.
And, while wallowing in grief, she decided to apply for a job.
As. A. Funeral. Planner.
I know, right?
After all, everyone always said she threw the best parties - why not put all that experience to good use?
Meyer shows how down-to-earth it is working with the dead (ha).
This is a quick and easy read about the quirky and weird habits of the overly rich and overly dead. There was intrigue, there were scandals and there were plenty of petty snarks.
She manages to convey the ridiculousness of the rich while maintaining how human death truly makes us all.
If you are squeamish about death - try this book on for size. It does a great job of easing you into it without turning your stomach.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
August 22, 2015
I must have had a drunk night on Netgalley one night. I somehow requested two memoirs. I usually don't care for this type of book so I did dnf the first one and read this one. Because I'm a sicko and was interested in the working of a funeral home.
Elizabeth Meyer is a little rich girl. Lives on the Upper East side in New York, when her dad passes away she seeks to know something more in life. She goes to work for the ritzy funeral home that handled his arrangements.
Her mom and family is freaking out that she is working there. Her friends are continuing their party lifestyles without her. She trades her Jimmy Choo's in for some Aerosoles and goes to work.
Sometimes, the best you can do is play the hand you're dealt and accessorize the outfit that you're given."
On her first day of the job she realizes that not everyone there is going to like her. They think she is the little rich girl that is slumming. So a receptionist named Monica decides that she will make Liz's time there a living hell.
Who knew a funeral home could have so much drama?
This funeral home is pretty entertaining as told by Meyer. You have the guy who was married to two women. The not so grieving widows.
And a condition I had not heard of but found fascinating.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you've never heard of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, either. (Or maybe you have, in which case you probably hand out with an even quirkier crowd than I do.) Embalmers are terrified of it, and you would be too if you spent your days cutting open dead people and touching their brains-which is exactly how it's transmitted.
Meyer spins a good story and even though at times she got on my last nerve with the fact that she seemed to think she was the only one working there that could treat a family well or do anything right. I still somehow liked her and usually she is someone who I really wouldn't relate too. She redeems herself with how thoughtful she can be at times.
That's one of the funny things about funerals; when it's all said and done, most people dry their tears and go about their lives. But when it's a person you really loved, the loss stays with you....and in a lot of ways, feels even worse after the service.
Book source: Netgalley in exchange for review
Elizabeth Meyer is a little rich girl. Lives on the Upper East side in New York, when her dad passes away she seeks to know something more in life. She goes to work for the ritzy funeral home that handled his arrangements.
Her mom and family is freaking out that she is working there. Her friends are continuing their party lifestyles without her. She trades her Jimmy Choo's in for some Aerosoles and goes to work.
Sometimes, the best you can do is play the hand you're dealt and accessorize the outfit that you're given."
On her first day of the job she realizes that not everyone there is going to like her. They think she is the little rich girl that is slumming. So a receptionist named Monica decides that she will make Liz's time there a living hell.
Who knew a funeral home could have so much drama?
This funeral home is pretty entertaining as told by Meyer. You have the guy who was married to two women. The not so grieving widows.
And a condition I had not heard of but found fascinating.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you've never heard of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, either. (Or maybe you have, in which case you probably hand out with an even quirkier crowd than I do.) Embalmers are terrified of it, and you would be too if you spent your days cutting open dead people and touching their brains-which is exactly how it's transmitted.
Meyer spins a good story and even though at times she got on my last nerve with the fact that she seemed to think she was the only one working there that could treat a family well or do anything right. I still somehow liked her and usually she is someone who I really wouldn't relate too. She redeems herself with how thoughtful she can be at times.
That's one of the funny things about funerals; when it's all said and done, most people dry their tears and go about their lives. But when it's a person you really loved, the loss stays with you....and in a lot of ways, feels even worse after the service.
Book source: Netgalley in exchange for review
August 27, 2015
When I requested this book I did so looking as much for a glance into the world of the funeral industry of New York City elites as for the world of the author but what I found was much more the latter. This is definitely an interesting book, with some good stories of actual funerals and planning and thoughtful moments, but then there are all those Manhattan social status comments that drove me a bit nuts. I just didn't think that all the fashion names were necessary or helped the narrative. Instead, in my opinion, they cut off the author from many of her readers who then either gawk at her and other subjects or may deride them for their showiness. It proved to be more of a twenty-something coming of age story than what I expected. I guess I am also not the target audience as I am in my sixties and looking at these issues in a different way.
The book is light and readable but it is important to know what it is, a memoir of a young woman finding her way and doing it through work in an elite funeral home in New York City, a sort walk from where she lived.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The book is light and readable but it is important to know what it is, a memoir of a young woman finding her way and doing it through work in an elite funeral home in New York City, a sort walk from where she lived.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 20, 2015
Not what I expected
When I ordered this book, I was under the impression that the majority of it would be about working for an elite funeral home. I looked forward to hearing about what kind of funerals the upper crust of life really have. That's not what I got. Instead I got a memoir about just how rich Me. Meyer and her friends and family are and I was reminded of her wealth in nearly every other sentence. I get it. You're a wealthy socialite. I didn't need to know that you were sipping on a Dean and Deluca latte on your break or that the bag you packed for a weekend in Montauk was a monogrammed designer bag or exactly what brand of wine you drank with your meals. Good for you that every blanket is cashmere. How was that all supposed to fit into a story about working in a funeral home? It doesn't.
This felt more like the author really just wanted to write about herself and way of life but knew that alone wouldn't sell books. What would sell books is telling people that it's a story about working for a famous funeral home. That isn't what you're getting, though, folks.
When I ordered this book, I was under the impression that the majority of it would be about working for an elite funeral home. I looked forward to hearing about what kind of funerals the upper crust of life really have. That's not what I got. Instead I got a memoir about just how rich Me. Meyer and her friends and family are and I was reminded of her wealth in nearly every other sentence. I get it. You're a wealthy socialite. I didn't need to know that you were sipping on a Dean and Deluca latte on your break or that the bag you packed for a weekend in Montauk was a monogrammed designer bag or exactly what brand of wine you drank with your meals. Good for you that every blanket is cashmere. How was that all supposed to fit into a story about working in a funeral home? It doesn't.
This felt more like the author really just wanted to write about herself and way of life but knew that alone wouldn't sell books. What would sell books is telling people that it's a story about working for a famous funeral home. That isn't what you're getting, though, folks.
August 18, 2015
It was hard for me not to like Good Mourning. Elizabeth Mayer -- who recounts her work at an upscale funeral home in Manhattan -- is so damn likeable and sincere that she makes the topic interesting and forced me -- mostly -- to get past preconceptions I might have about her. Meyer grew up on Manhattan's upper east side in a very privileged family and environment. Her memoir starts with her father's death when she was 21 years old. She clearly doesn't have to work and certainly can't support her lifestyle on her $30,000 per year salary, but after her father's death decides that she wants to work at Crawford, the funeral home that handled her father's funeral and that apparently handles the funerals of the rich and famous in Manhattan. Her book primarily recounts her work at Crawford, including a series of anecdotes about her time catering to the grieving needs of people with limitless resources. While the stories are at times comical and colourful, Mayer is very clear that her objective is not to make fun of the people she writes about, but rather to humanize them and to speak about the importance of treating people who are grieving with respect and sympathy. She unabashedly toots her own horn about her talent for recognizing the needs of grieving families and also talks about how much she loved the work. She also writes about her own grief over her father's death and the long road to forging a better relationship with her mother who is initially very down on Meyer's decision to work at Crawford. Where the book grates a bit -- but really not that much because Meyer does acknowledge her unusual privilege -- is when Meyer emphasizes the difference between her and the other employees at Crawford and that she understands the needs of the clients better than most because she comes from that background herself. In the process, she seems unduly critical of some of her co-workers without making much effort to understand where they may be coming from. But I can forgive this flaw in Meyer's narrative because as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, she is so likeable and sincere, and there's a frankness about her book that makes it very readable. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
January 11, 2022
This is a memoir by Elizabeth Meyer.
When her father dies, Elizabeth is planning her father’s funeral. Being from a well-to-do family, Elizabeth goes to this hoity-toity funeral parlor and to her family's dismay, she decides to apply for a job...as a funeral planner.
She goes on to tell you all of the weird and crazy things that happened during her employment there.
I did do the audiobook, which is read by the author, and I think that it put a nice touch on the telling of her story!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
When her father dies, Elizabeth is planning her father’s funeral. Being from a well-to-do family, Elizabeth goes to this hoity-toity funeral parlor and to her family's dismay, she decides to apply for a job...as a funeral planner.
She goes on to tell you all of the weird and crazy things that happened during her employment there.
I did do the audiobook, which is read by the author, and I think that it put a nice touch on the telling of her story!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
July 24, 2015
Elizabeth Meyer was a young girl, living a privileged Manhattan lifestyle, when her father died and left her devastated. Having to confront reality, twenty one year old Elizabeth decided that she wanted to help other grieving relatives and asked for a job at the prestigious Crawford Funeral Home. It sounds absurd to say that there can be a prestigious funeral home, but Crawford deals with the funerals for the rich and famous in New York and, as such, Elizabeth helped become a ‘Funeral Planner’ to the ultra wealthy.
To be honest, there are flaws with this memoir, but they are outweighed by Elizabeth’s chatty and enthusiastic manner. Even at the end of this book, I do not feel that Elizabeth really understood why people objected to her new career. Her mother and grandmother were shocked at her choosing to work in such a lowly paid career, while many work colleagues resented her. Although I do not doubt Elizabeth’s motives, she really did not understand why fellow receptionists sneered at her designer lifestyle and obviously resented the fact that she looked upon the pay cheque they depended upon as a ‘pittance’ and ‘less a job than charity work.’
That aside, this really is a fascinating memoir of Elizabeth’s time at Crawford. Obviously, the author had to give clients their confidentiality and, as such, some of this book sometimes feels a little incomplete. We hear a few famous names, but mainly people are just famous ‘rock stars’, ‘actors’ or ‘mobsters’; also, there is sometimes a tendency to begin a story, which just fades away. For instance, there is the bizarre phone call from a man who wishes to know whether his mother’s brain is amongst her remains and we never really get to hear why he wants to know, or the mobster who wishes to attend his mother’s funeral and we never really have details of what happened. So, along with Elizabeth’s rather girlish and confiding prose, the reader is often a little in the dark about specific events.
Still, there is a lot of interest here. Who knew (although I suppose it is no real surprise) that there is a company called ‘Goliath Caskets’ who produce coffins for the ‘big and tall’? Or realised that competitiveness, snobbery and one-upmanship continues after life has ended? Again, perhaps that is of no real surprise, especially when relatives are involved. Elizabeth became adept at dealing with all sorts of unusual funeral requests and events; from men who left behind two widows to dealing with the death of people she knew. Along the way, she juggled her judgemental grandmother, mystified friends and confused clients and retained her charm, humour and tolerance. So, despite the flaws, I really liked this and I liked Elizabeth herself. I understood why receptionist Monica was frustrated and angry and yet I also applauded Elizabeth for trying to make a difference. This is an unusual and surprisingly upbeat read and I did really enjoy reading Elizabeth’s, very readable, story. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
To be honest, there are flaws with this memoir, but they are outweighed by Elizabeth’s chatty and enthusiastic manner. Even at the end of this book, I do not feel that Elizabeth really understood why people objected to her new career. Her mother and grandmother were shocked at her choosing to work in such a lowly paid career, while many work colleagues resented her. Although I do not doubt Elizabeth’s motives, she really did not understand why fellow receptionists sneered at her designer lifestyle and obviously resented the fact that she looked upon the pay cheque they depended upon as a ‘pittance’ and ‘less a job than charity work.’
That aside, this really is a fascinating memoir of Elizabeth’s time at Crawford. Obviously, the author had to give clients their confidentiality and, as such, some of this book sometimes feels a little incomplete. We hear a few famous names, but mainly people are just famous ‘rock stars’, ‘actors’ or ‘mobsters’; also, there is sometimes a tendency to begin a story, which just fades away. For instance, there is the bizarre phone call from a man who wishes to know whether his mother’s brain is amongst her remains and we never really get to hear why he wants to know, or the mobster who wishes to attend his mother’s funeral and we never really have details of what happened. So, along with Elizabeth’s rather girlish and confiding prose, the reader is often a little in the dark about specific events.
Still, there is a lot of interest here. Who knew (although I suppose it is no real surprise) that there is a company called ‘Goliath Caskets’ who produce coffins for the ‘big and tall’? Or realised that competitiveness, snobbery and one-upmanship continues after life has ended? Again, perhaps that is of no real surprise, especially when relatives are involved. Elizabeth became adept at dealing with all sorts of unusual funeral requests and events; from men who left behind two widows to dealing with the death of people she knew. Along the way, she juggled her judgemental grandmother, mystified friends and confused clients and retained her charm, humour and tolerance. So, despite the flaws, I really liked this and I liked Elizabeth herself. I understood why receptionist Monica was frustrated and angry and yet I also applauded Elizabeth for trying to make a difference. This is an unusual and surprisingly upbeat read and I did really enjoy reading Elizabeth’s, very readable, story. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
March 15, 2015
I'm someone who can't talk about death. I can't think about it, I can't hear about it, I can't dwell on it. Six Feet Under was, so I've heard, a fantastic show. But you wouldn't catch me dead (! see what I did there?) watching it. Because I'd have panic attacks all over the fucking place.
So imagine my surprise when I started reading Elizabeth Meyer's chronicle of her time at a fancy Upper East Side–funeral home, and did not panic. What? How is that even possible?
I don't know. Meyer, constantly chronicling her Gucci shoes and Leger dresses, isn't particularly likable. But what she was able to do was make death accessible—even ritualistically soothing—in the funeral business. Not to mention fascinating.
I'm not sure how much I liked this book or was just so completely surprised that I didn't dislike it. But I do know that it was surprisingly well written, compulsively readable, and eerily comforting. If Meyer could make a death-phobe enjoy a book detailing the post-mortem process, I can only imagine the positive effect she had on the families whose loved ones ended up at Crawford.
So imagine my surprise when I started reading Elizabeth Meyer's chronicle of her time at a fancy Upper East Side–funeral home, and did not panic. What? How is that even possible?
I don't know. Meyer, constantly chronicling her Gucci shoes and Leger dresses, isn't particularly likable. But what she was able to do was make death accessible—even ritualistically soothing—in the funeral business. Not to mention fascinating.
I'm not sure how much I liked this book or was just so completely surprised that I didn't dislike it. But I do know that it was surprisingly well written, compulsively readable, and eerily comforting. If Meyer could make a death-phobe enjoy a book detailing the post-mortem process, I can only imagine the positive effect she had on the families whose loved ones ended up at Crawford.
January 15, 2016
I usually hate the “X meets Y” descriptors of things, but the Gossip Girl meets Six Feet Under description of this is pretty spot on. Elizabeth Meyer grew up in a privileged environment on the Upper East Side. Her father died when she was 24 and shortly after she decided to ask for a job at the upscale funeral home where his service had been held. Her uber-wealthy family and friends thought it was kind of weird and embarrassing, and her new coworkers assume that she’s an entitled, naïve brat. But over time, she discovers that she’s good at planning over-the-top funerals for incredibly rich people with no budgets.
This book is well-written (I’ll keep an eye out for the ghost writer’s future works) and there are brief moment of insight, but Meyer’s tone sometimes seems a little humble-braggy, a little name-droppy. She spends a lot of time talking about her troubles with other employees of the funeral home who treat her poorly based on the assumption that she’s a little rich girl who doesn’t belong but always gets her way. The way that the employees treated her was pretty awful (gossipy, catty kind of things), but Meyer really talks shit about these employees, too, and that sometimes comes across as a little “I’m so much better at this job than anyone else here.”
And never for a moment does she let us forget just how high-society she is. She has to mention her Gucci shoes, her Dean & Deluca lattes, the time she partied with Vince Vaughn. There are some brief moments of insight here and there, and I got the distinct impression that she doesn't want to be thought of as that kind of person. But she really does come across as that kind of person. I didn't find her very likable.
Meyer mention in the afterword that her ultimate goal is to make death seem less scary, now that she’s a licensed funeral director in her own right. That reminds me a lot of Caitlin Doughty’s goals with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of that kind of thing in this book and I found that disappointing. This books lacks the kind of passion (a zest for death, perhaps?) that made Smoke so damn fascinating and endearing to me. 98% of Mourning is “You won’t believe what happened at this one funeral” kind of things. It doesn’t really have the behind-the-scenes meat that I was hoping for or the thoughtful reflections on grief and life. It’s worth reading if you’re into the stories of wacky rich people demanding absurd things, but I’d recommend Doughty if you’re looking for some more depth.
This book is well-written (I’ll keep an eye out for the ghost writer’s future works) and there are brief moment of insight, but Meyer’s tone sometimes seems a little humble-braggy, a little name-droppy. She spends a lot of time talking about her troubles with other employees of the funeral home who treat her poorly based on the assumption that she’s a little rich girl who doesn’t belong but always gets her way. The way that the employees treated her was pretty awful (gossipy, catty kind of things), but Meyer really talks shit about these employees, too, and that sometimes comes across as a little “I’m so much better at this job than anyone else here.”
And never for a moment does she let us forget just how high-society she is. She has to mention her Gucci shoes, her Dean & Deluca lattes, the time she partied with Vince Vaughn. There are some brief moments of insight here and there, and I got the distinct impression that she doesn't want to be thought of as that kind of person. But she really does come across as that kind of person. I didn't find her very likable.
Meyer mention in the afterword that her ultimate goal is to make death seem less scary, now that she’s a licensed funeral director in her own right. That reminds me a lot of Caitlin Doughty’s goals with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of that kind of thing in this book and I found that disappointing. This books lacks the kind of passion (a zest for death, perhaps?) that made Smoke so damn fascinating and endearing to me. 98% of Mourning is “You won’t believe what happened at this one funeral” kind of things. It doesn’t really have the behind-the-scenes meat that I was hoping for or the thoughtful reflections on grief and life. It’s worth reading if you’re into the stories of wacky rich people demanding absurd things, but I’d recommend Doughty if you’re looking for some more depth.
August 22, 2015
"When I was twenty-one and most of my friends were Daddy-do-you-know-someone?-ing their way into fancy banks and PR firms, I was grieving the loss of my father, who had just died of cancer. That's how I found myself in the lobby of Crawford Funeral Home, one of several premier funeral homes in Manhattan, begging for a job one day."
After finding satisfaction in taking charge of her beloved father's funeral arrangements, young New York socialite Elizabeth Meyer joins the staff at Crawford Funeral Home despite the objections of family and friends. Though hired as a receptionist, Elizabeth's curiosity about all aspects of the business, including the mortuary room, and her ability to relate to Crawford's upscale clientele, soon sees her appointed as the Family Services Coordinator.
Unlike Caitlin Doughty's memoir Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, published earlier this year, Meyer's memoir has no real agenda, though she is sincere in her belief that mourners should have the opportunity to create a meaningful funeral experience that honours their loved one.
Good Mourning has a largely lighthearted tone as Meyer shares her experiences at Crawford. From body fluids leaking all over her Gucci shoes, to missing brains, to making arrangements for dozens of Lamborghini's to line Madison Avenue. She is discrete as she describes the excesses of unnamed celebrity and society funerals, respectful as she tells of families grief, and is matter of fact about the more confronting aspects of the funeral industry.
Eventually tiring of the infighting and corporate ethos plaguing Crawford, Meyer left after a few years, and after further study started her own private consulting firm, helping people to navigate the funeral industry.
Authored with the assistance of freelance writer Caitlin Moscatello, Good Mourning is written in a conversational style. Elizabeth comes across charmingly enthusiastic, and genuinely passionate about her chosen career. Meyer's instinct for dealing with grieving families is remarkably mature, but her youth is apparent in what she shares of personal life. She has a difficult relationship with her mother, doesn't understand the hostility directed at her by her colleagues, and takes her wealth and privilege for granted.
Good Mourning is a quick, interesting and entertaining read, and Elizabeth Meyer shares her story with honesty, humour, and compassion.
April 9, 2018
This book's title caught my eye immediately, and I was quite glad it did.
Elizabeth Meyer is a wealthy socialite hobnobbing with the who's who in New York. She's definitely from the right side of the tracks. While planning her father's funeral, little could she have imagined that she, herself, would find a career in the business of death.
To say that her mother and other family members were unhappy with her taking a job in a funeral parlor, even if it is THE funeral parlor on the wealthy Upper East Side of NYC, where anyone who's anyone, including many celebrities, have used the place for their own funerals. They are still shocked that Elizabeth would even think about such a career, but she found out she truly loved working in the funeral business, much to their dismay, and much to her own happiness.
What others may shy from, Elizabeth delved into. The only negative was the extremely unlikeable woman who ran the front office, and who judged Elizabeth on her wealth rather than her willingness to work hard at the parlor.
Truth be told, all of us wonder about what really happens at funeral parlors. This book tells the inside story while not being gruesome or judgmental. Elizabeth finds herself handling situations she could not have imagined, such as when two women who both claim they are wed to the deceased show up to plan his funeral. Neither knew the other existed. Awkward moment, anyone? And what about the deceased family member who calls to demand they look and make sure the brain is with the body? Complying with his request and asking the person who takes care of that type of thing to double check for a brain (while the loved one insisted on staying on hold on the phone) - how does she tell him that the brain is.....missing???
The book is touching, difficult, humerous, and interesting. I greatly enjoyed it.
Elizabeth Meyer is a wealthy socialite hobnobbing with the who's who in New York. She's definitely from the right side of the tracks. While planning her father's funeral, little could she have imagined that she, herself, would find a career in the business of death.
To say that her mother and other family members were unhappy with her taking a job in a funeral parlor, even if it is THE funeral parlor on the wealthy Upper East Side of NYC, where anyone who's anyone, including many celebrities, have used the place for their own funerals. They are still shocked that Elizabeth would even think about such a career, but she found out she truly loved working in the funeral business, much to their dismay, and much to her own happiness.
What others may shy from, Elizabeth delved into. The only negative was the extremely unlikeable woman who ran the front office, and who judged Elizabeth on her wealth rather than her willingness to work hard at the parlor.
Truth be told, all of us wonder about what really happens at funeral parlors. This book tells the inside story while not being gruesome or judgmental. Elizabeth finds herself handling situations she could not have imagined, such as when two women who both claim they are wed to the deceased show up to plan his funeral. Neither knew the other existed. Awkward moment, anyone? And what about the deceased family member who calls to demand they look and make sure the brain is with the body? Complying with his request and asking the person who takes care of that type of thing to double check for a brain (while the loved one insisted on staying on hold on the phone) - how does she tell him that the brain is.....missing???
The book is touching, difficult, humerous, and interesting. I greatly enjoyed it.
October 23, 2019
As a funeral director, I was pretty bummed with this book. Part of our job is to inform the public of what is seemingly a mysterious profession. What this book did, in my opinion, was inform the public that the only thing funeral directors care about is the bottom line and margins. Of course there are slime balls. We all know one.. But this business is undermined enough by ignorance and hearsay, and this book (told by someone who's advocating?) does nothing to spur positive dialogue, rather it continues to fan the flame of mystery and curiosity.
When I read that the vein was used to inject embalming fluid, I knew this was going to be something of an interesting read. To be clear, funeral directors use arteries to inject preservative chemicals and veins to drain blood and other fluid. Embalming in this book was unbelievably underplayed. The embalmer's job in the book sounded on the easy side. Prepping can be anything but. Many of the cases she mentioned (suicides, overdoses, etc.) would be autopsied cases, whereas the story seems to say they came straight from place of death into her caring and consoling arms. Not really how it works people.
But I think one of the biggest things I had issues with in the book is that she stated that she's in the business to be a mediator who can speak for clients and on behalf of funeral homes as she's lost someone close to her and then worked for a funeral home. This I found quite disappointing. I guess she's just disregarding the fact that the majority of us are in this profession because we too have also lost someone, and want to walk beside those who have as well. I don't know. It was well written, but I call bullshit. I really wanted to like the book. But it was just too much for me.
When I read that the vein was used to inject embalming fluid, I knew this was going to be something of an interesting read. To be clear, funeral directors use arteries to inject preservative chemicals and veins to drain blood and other fluid. Embalming in this book was unbelievably underplayed. The embalmer's job in the book sounded on the easy side. Prepping can be anything but. Many of the cases she mentioned (suicides, overdoses, etc.) would be autopsied cases, whereas the story seems to say they came straight from place of death into her caring and consoling arms. Not really how it works people.
But I think one of the biggest things I had issues with in the book is that she stated that she's in the business to be a mediator who can speak for clients and on behalf of funeral homes as she's lost someone close to her and then worked for a funeral home. This I found quite disappointing. I guess she's just disregarding the fact that the majority of us are in this profession because we too have also lost someone, and want to walk beside those who have as well. I don't know. It was well written, but I call bullshit. I really wanted to like the book. But it was just too much for me.
September 24, 2015
3.75 Stars. This was a sometimes amusing read about Elizabeth Meyer who felt it was her calling to work in a prestigious funeral home after the death of her father. I liked the fact that this book offered details of the super rich and their funerals but with dignity and respect. My only reason for not giving this 4 stars was the sometimes annoying fact that she had to name drop designers and the price tags, like when she describes her $600 Gucci shoes that were ruined. I get that she came from a wealthy family and could afford to wear designer duds, but like I mentioned it was sometimes a little annoying.
October 18, 2015
The one star is for the pseudo ghost writer; she deserves more. Elizabeth Meyer"s story, however is just more narcissistic drivel that the 1% think is special solely because they are rich. This book is insulting to the funeral profession, to Crawford funeral home, and to the average grieving person whose life is deeply impacted by the price of an $8,000 funeral.
You only live once. Don't waste any of it on this piece of indulgent, self-congratulatory, crap. Go read a book by a real funeral director who has made a real difference with his life: Thomas Lynch's The Undertaking.
You only live once. Don't waste any of it on this piece of indulgent, self-congratulatory, crap. Go read a book by a real funeral director who has made a real difference with his life: Thomas Lynch's The Undertaking.
December 5, 2018
This was one of those braggy memoirs where the boasts get in the way of the story. If it had not been a review book it would have been a DNF. I requested it because I loved the television programs: Six Feet Under, and reality show Family Plots.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
I was approved for an eARC, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
January 4, 2016
This book is about the author a socialite who gets a job at a funeral home. She loses her Dad and after planning his funeral decides that planning funerals is her dream job.
It seems more like she was bored with her life which included event planning and decided to get a hobby. She evens mentions when she accepts the job that she could go back to interning or event planning if she got bored with the job at the funeral home. She gets a job as a secretary and assumes it means she is going to plan funerals.
I found this a hard read because the constant refrences to designer things and social talk. Her first removal she got stuff on her shoes and made sure we knew they were $600 Gucci heels. Then there is the constant talk about people it is like a gossip magazine though many identies are not revealed.
The author does share stories of funerals and other aspects about working in a funeral home. She does manage to move up to planning funerals many with no budgets.
Surprisingly though I did enjoy the book to an extent. It was an eye-opener about funerals and funeral plannings for the rich and famous. People who follow celebrities would probably enjoy this book more especially if their favorite celebrity died and went through Crawford Funeral Home.
It seems more like she was bored with her life which included event planning and decided to get a hobby. She evens mentions when she accepts the job that she could go back to interning or event planning if she got bored with the job at the funeral home. She gets a job as a secretary and assumes it means she is going to plan funerals.
I found this a hard read because the constant refrences to designer things and social talk. Her first removal she got stuff on her shoes and made sure we knew they were $600 Gucci heels. Then there is the constant talk about people it is like a gossip magazine though many identies are not revealed.
The author does share stories of funerals and other aspects about working in a funeral home. She does manage to move up to planning funerals many with no budgets.
Surprisingly though I did enjoy the book to an extent. It was an eye-opener about funerals and funeral plannings for the rich and famous. People who follow celebrities would probably enjoy this book more especially if their favorite celebrity died and went through Crawford Funeral Home.
April 21, 2016
Say what you want about me but I like hearing about dead people. I think it's interesting. I loved Mary Roach's "Stiff" and Six Feet Under is my favorite show of all time. That being said, I also like me some gossipy, Park Ave type books. This was pretty much the weird, fun mix of those 2 things...Elizabeth Meyer grew up very wealthy on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, friends with a lot of celebrities and socialites. So after her father died from cancer, everyone was a little shocked to learn that she wanted to join the funeral business. Meyer believed that her particular pedigree would be helpful to the high end funeral home where her father had been taken care of so she goes begging for a job. This book is part interesting funeral home stories, part socialite Manhattan, and part memoir of learning about our mortality. I wouldn't say it goes into too much depth in any of those topics but I had fun reading it. A very quick, fun (if you're weird) read for people wanting a break from fiction without feeling like they're reading a textbook. If you're looking for something more in depth about the business of dead people, go for "Stiff" by Mary Roach and if you're looking for something more gossipy pick almost any celebrity memoir...but if you like both those topics and don't need major details either way, this is a good choice.
November 21, 2021
Alternative title: Why people hate the rich and always will.
Not since reading Klonopin Lunch (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) have I ever actively disliked an author so much.
Let me start by summarizing the story for you: Rich girl's dad dies, she then goes to get a job at the funeral home he had his service at (the one where ALL the RICH New Yorkers go!) and she aims to teach all the hard-working folks that have worked in the business for years how things should be. There are a couple of interesting stories about actual funerals, but most of the story is about how amazing the author is and how rich she and her family are.
She mentions the brand name of everything from lattes to shoes in an attempt to...impress us? She judges everyone while acting like she is the original source of compassion for the human race. She tires of the funeral home when everyone there grows to hate her - possibly because she constantly judges EVERYONE? - and then jets off to London to get her MBA.
I'll save you the read: I grew up rich, have tons of celebrity acquaintances and friends, think it is horrible and demeaning to work for $30,000 a year as a receptionist and am secretly judging your clothes, your accent, and your shoes. Oh, but I'm an amazing person who knows the funeral business better than anyone ever could.
Not since reading Klonopin Lunch (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) have I ever actively disliked an author so much.
Let me start by summarizing the story for you: Rich girl's dad dies, she then goes to get a job at the funeral home he had his service at (the one where ALL the RICH New Yorkers go!) and she aims to teach all the hard-working folks that have worked in the business for years how things should be. There are a couple of interesting stories about actual funerals, but most of the story is about how amazing the author is and how rich she and her family are.
She mentions the brand name of everything from lattes to shoes in an attempt to...impress us? She judges everyone while acting like she is the original source of compassion for the human race. She tires of the funeral home when everyone there grows to hate her - possibly because she constantly judges EVERYONE? - and then jets off to London to get her MBA.
I'll save you the read: I grew up rich, have tons of celebrity acquaintances and friends, think it is horrible and demeaning to work for $30,000 a year as a receptionist and am secretly judging your clothes, your accent, and your shoes. Oh, but I'm an amazing person who knows the funeral business better than anyone ever could.
August 30, 2022
DNF @ 44% when the funeral planner says she sees ghosts.
All she's doing at this point in the book is constant name dropping and being snobby and stuck up and incredibly unrelatable. Everything about her is unlikable. She makes herself sound like she's mature when she's just prevliaged woman who only got the job as a funeral planner because she didn't do her job as a receptionist and has connections because she's a socialite (again, the name dropping). It's infuriating.
It gave me great pleasure when her $600 Gucci heels that she wore to work got soaked with bodily fluids.
All she's doing at this point in the book is constant name dropping and being snobby and stuck up and incredibly unrelatable. Everything about her is unlikable. She makes herself sound like she's mature when she's just prevliaged woman who only got the job as a funeral planner because she didn't do her job as a receptionist and has connections because she's a socialite (again, the name dropping). It's infuriating.
It gave me great pleasure when her $600 Gucci heels that she wore to work got soaked with bodily fluids.
December 16, 2018
I absolutely LOVE this book!! Elizabeth Meyer has done an excellent job telling her story, I laughed, I cried, I was furious... an emotional rollercoaster of a book.
July 5, 2021
I’ve read a lot of incredible books about death, dying, and the funeral industry, but this isn’t one of them. (For insightful reads, check out Caitlin Doughty’s books.)
Throughout the entire book, Ms. Meyer wanted to make sure that you understood one very important thing: She is rich and is doing this out of the kindness of her heart. She wants accolades for doing this job, and I can’t help but feel like one reason she’s in this career to say “Look at how great I am! I’m doing a middle-class person’s job with a smile on my face! Aren’t I just so kind and caring?!“
A key feature in the death industry is focusing on the deceased and their family and friends, NOT yourself. Ms. Meyer (despite her beliefs) still has A LOT to learn about this. You don’t do this job to pat yourself on the back. You do this job to help grieving individuals.
Summarized: Don’t waste you time with this book.
Want some examples? Let me go ahead and list the cringe-worthy moments in the book that highlight this.
1. “When everything around you is so gosh-darn fabulous...the people in the high-society circle I’ve been running in since I was born...” : This is on Page 2. PAGE 2. Immediately she tells us that she’s not like “other” funeral workers. She’s rich and doesn’t really need this job. And don’t worry, she reminds us of her wealth throughout the book, lest you forget! I should have known that it would have been all downhill from here. But alas, I read on.
2. “My $600 Gucci heels, the same ones that Monica had scoffed at earlier in the day, were covered in a brownish fluid.” : 1. Why does she feel the need to clarify how much the shoes cost and what brand they are? It adds nothing to the story other than to clarify how she can afford expensive shoes. Fluids leaking onto your feet is enough to showcase the realities of this job, the price and brand of shoes doesn’t add anything. 2. Did she do any research about this job? Did she even bother asking about what she’d be doing? Did she think that people would give her a pass? The lack of forethought is astounding.
3. “One night, I was heading for an event and had changed into my Robert Cavalier gown at the office.” (Page 55): AGAIN with mentioning the brand name. This adds NOTHING to the narrative other then to remind the reader of her status in society. Going to an EVENT in a DESIGNER GOWN?! How posh (insert eye roll here).
4. “Maybe it was all my studies... Before I could correct the narrow-minded twerp...” (Page 141): Did I learn something about funerals in other cultures? Yes. Did I need the condescending comments (I’m educated, I’m so culturally competent)? No. Check your ego at the door.
5. “For the pittance I was making, my job was less a job and more charity work for the Upper East Side.” (Page 201): This made me IRATE. She knew what the pay was like before accepting the position. She is getting paid to do a service. THIS IS NOT CHARITY WORK. This is called a job. Welcome to the real world. I rolled my eyes so hard I think I sprained something. Providing a service for rich people who are paying for that service isn’t charity, IT IS CALLED A JOB. This was such an asinine comment. I still don’t know how it didn’t get edited out.
6. About a “lost” body - “But what would have happened if I hadn’t been there to talk to the airline staff, UN representatives, and airport security? Would the body still be missing?...I was the only person who could see both sides.” (Page 202): Thank GOODNESS she was there to save the day! The staff would have never been able to solve this problem without her! What a life-saver! <*heavy sarcasm* There are parts where she acts like she’s the ONLY one who could do this, no one else would be able to manage it. The sense of “I’m not like the OTHER staff, I know what I’m doing and am doing it much better than they ever could” is sickening. She acts like she’s God’s gift to this funeral home.
7 “I was the only one who would recognize the non-celebrity VIPs as they came in anyway.” : Again with the “I’m the ONLY one who could do this.” (Insert eye roll here.)
8. After being told about a suspicion that she was having an affair with her boss - “The guys I went out with were twenty years younger, ten times richer, and a hundred times more attractive....an overweight, graying family man was hardly the guy I was trying yo bag.” (Page 241): Again, I was irate. Just say you aren’t attracted to him, or he isn’t your type. Why does she feel the need to insult him in multiple ways? This is such a disgusting thing to do. And newsflash, someone’s character and personality also matters, and based on this, Ms. Meyer’s needs some serious work.
9. “I would never sleep with your pudgy husband.” (Page 250): We get it, you’re hyper focused on someone’s physical appearance and not their personality. You’re shallow AF. We don’t need to keep hearing this.
10. “It was too easy for people to label me as the spoiled rich girl - granted, I was lunching extravagantly on a weekday. Ben...[tried] to get me to...drive out to the Hamptons with him on his new BMW motorcycle.” (Page 244) - Yes, it is easy, because she makes it easy. She talks about how much she spends on things, the brands she owns, how rich she and her friends are. She talks about being rich A LOT, so of course people are going to label her as a “spoiled rich girl.” You can be rich and have nice things, but Elizabeth talks about it repeatedly and it becomes a key part of her personality, which is not a good look.
11. “He and his sister were classic spoiled brats.” (Page 253): MA’AM, have you not read what you’ve written? Pot, meet kettle.
12. Finally, Monica. Elizabeth didn’t get along with her from the start. There were various scenes showcasing how they didn’t get along. However, I’m interested to hear Monica’s story. Given Elizabeth’s lack of awareness of how she presents herself, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were important conversations/events that were being left out (either intentional or not).
Throughout the entire book, Ms. Meyer wanted to make sure that you understood one very important thing: She is rich and is doing this out of the kindness of her heart. She wants accolades for doing this job, and I can’t help but feel like one reason she’s in this career to say “Look at how great I am! I’m doing a middle-class person’s job with a smile on my face! Aren’t I just so kind and caring?!“
A key feature in the death industry is focusing on the deceased and their family and friends, NOT yourself. Ms. Meyer (despite her beliefs) still has A LOT to learn about this. You don’t do this job to pat yourself on the back. You do this job to help grieving individuals.
Summarized: Don’t waste you time with this book.
Want some examples? Let me go ahead and list the cringe-worthy moments in the book that highlight this.
1. “When everything around you is so gosh-darn fabulous...the people in the high-society circle I’ve been running in since I was born...” : This is on Page 2. PAGE 2. Immediately she tells us that she’s not like “other” funeral workers. She’s rich and doesn’t really need this job. And don’t worry, she reminds us of her wealth throughout the book, lest you forget! I should have known that it would have been all downhill from here. But alas, I read on.
2. “My $600 Gucci heels, the same ones that Monica had scoffed at earlier in the day, were covered in a brownish fluid.” : 1. Why does she feel the need to clarify how much the shoes cost and what brand they are? It adds nothing to the story other than to clarify how she can afford expensive shoes. Fluids leaking onto your feet is enough to showcase the realities of this job, the price and brand of shoes doesn’t add anything. 2. Did she do any research about this job? Did she even bother asking about what she’d be doing? Did she think that people would give her a pass? The lack of forethought is astounding.
3. “One night, I was heading for an event and had changed into my Robert Cavalier gown at the office.” (Page 55): AGAIN with mentioning the brand name. This adds NOTHING to the narrative other then to remind the reader of her status in society. Going to an EVENT in a DESIGNER GOWN?! How posh (insert eye roll here).
4. “Maybe it was all my studies... Before I could correct the narrow-minded twerp...” (Page 141): Did I learn something about funerals in other cultures? Yes. Did I need the condescending comments (I’m educated, I’m so culturally competent)? No. Check your ego at the door.
5. “For the pittance I was making, my job was less a job and more charity work for the Upper East Side.” (Page 201): This made me IRATE. She knew what the pay was like before accepting the position. She is getting paid to do a service. THIS IS NOT CHARITY WORK. This is called a job. Welcome to the real world. I rolled my eyes so hard I think I sprained something. Providing a service for rich people who are paying for that service isn’t charity, IT IS CALLED A JOB. This was such an asinine comment. I still don’t know how it didn’t get edited out.
6. About a “lost” body - “But what would have happened if I hadn’t been there to talk to the airline staff, UN representatives, and airport security? Would the body still be missing?...I was the only person who could see both sides.” (Page 202): Thank GOODNESS she was there to save the day! The staff would have never been able to solve this problem without her! What a life-saver! <*heavy sarcasm* There are parts where she acts like she’s the ONLY one who could do this, no one else would be able to manage it. The sense of “I’m not like the OTHER staff, I know what I’m doing and am doing it much better than they ever could” is sickening. She acts like she’s God’s gift to this funeral home.
7 “I was the only one who would recognize the non-celebrity VIPs as they came in anyway.” : Again with the “I’m the ONLY one who could do this.” (Insert eye roll here.)
8. After being told about a suspicion that she was having an affair with her boss - “The guys I went out with were twenty years younger, ten times richer, and a hundred times more attractive....an overweight, graying family man was hardly the guy I was trying yo bag.” (Page 241): Again, I was irate. Just say you aren’t attracted to him, or he isn’t your type. Why does she feel the need to insult him in multiple ways? This is such a disgusting thing to do. And newsflash, someone’s character and personality also matters, and based on this, Ms. Meyer’s needs some serious work.
9. “I would never sleep with your pudgy husband.” (Page 250): We get it, you’re hyper focused on someone’s physical appearance and not their personality. You’re shallow AF. We don’t need to keep hearing this.
10. “It was too easy for people to label me as the spoiled rich girl - granted, I was lunching extravagantly on a weekday. Ben...[tried] to get me to...drive out to the Hamptons with him on his new BMW motorcycle.” (Page 244) - Yes, it is easy, because she makes it easy. She talks about how much she spends on things, the brands she owns, how rich she and her friends are. She talks about being rich A LOT, so of course people are going to label her as a “spoiled rich girl.” You can be rich and have nice things, but Elizabeth talks about it repeatedly and it becomes a key part of her personality, which is not a good look.
11. “He and his sister were classic spoiled brats.” (Page 253): MA’AM, have you not read what you’ve written? Pot, meet kettle.
12. Finally, Monica. Elizabeth didn’t get along with her from the start. There were various scenes showcasing how they didn’t get along. However, I’m interested to hear Monica’s story. Given Elizabeth’s lack of awareness of how she presents herself, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were important conversations/events that were being left out (either intentional or not).
July 10, 2018
Very interesting, good insights into dealing with death without that being the main focus of the book. I definitely recommend this as a "good read". And, it fulfilled another of The Finer Books Club selections!
September 19, 2015
Thanks to goodreads I won a copy ofGood Mourning!!....I just finished reading it and I miss it already. I want to go back and read it all over again. Aaaaaah....so amazing...so refreshing....a funny....witty...highly entertaining book.
This memoir is the life of Elizabeth Meyer...a woman that comes from money and privilege, she has spent her life mingling among celebrities and other high society people, attended the most prestigious parties, went to the best schools, traveled around the world....she has lived the life....and yet when her father dies, whom she is very close to, she feels something is missing in that 'fabulous life'...and oddly enough, the one place where she is drawn to is this funeral home. Now this is not your ordinary funeral home. This place is where the best of the best go after they die...celebrities, dignitaries, old money...new money...like the VIP rooms of the most fabulous nightclubs in New York, you had to be someone to be sent there....and boy is their send off unlike anything I've ever heard about or witnessed myself. With money and privilege comes the opportunity to be buried in the most elaborate and pompous way you choose or your family so chooses for you. This book gave us all that...we learn about the final days...the prep it takes....religious traditions...snippets of stuff we never thought we always wanted to know about the work that goes into funeral planning and now that we do we are highly intrigued....at least I know I am. Elizabeth's perspective on the whole funeral business is written in a way that is witty and humorous. I thought I would cry more but I found myself laughing more times than not and I didn't feel bad about that. She gets to the point of it but she is not so raw and gritty that it becomes cringe worthy. Elizabeth is on a spiritual journey after her father dies...the funeral home takes her through much of it...keeps her sanity even through the craziness that it also provides...her mother not approving of her new line of work (let's face it, hardly anyone in her life approved of it.) It was taking a step down to who she was suppose to be but Elizabeth embraced it, thrived on it, put her all into it. She needed it. She put up with enough company politics, fellow employee jeers and prejudices, blood, sweat and tears to earn her place in the oh so un-fabulous life of funeral planning for the oh so fabulous. Most of all it brought her to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the woman she was having the most strain and disconnect with, her mother. It's refreshing to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this beautiful memoir.
If you are looking for a light, funny, witty, interesting read then give Good Mourning a try. I loved it....from the great but simple book cover that is so fitting to the story...all the way to it's journey and "end", it's truly a great read. Who knew the business of death would be so funny??!!
This memoir is the life of Elizabeth Meyer...a woman that comes from money and privilege, she has spent her life mingling among celebrities and other high society people, attended the most prestigious parties, went to the best schools, traveled around the world....she has lived the life....and yet when her father dies, whom she is very close to, she feels something is missing in that 'fabulous life'...and oddly enough, the one place where she is drawn to is this funeral home. Now this is not your ordinary funeral home. This place is where the best of the best go after they die...celebrities, dignitaries, old money...new money...like the VIP rooms of the most fabulous nightclubs in New York, you had to be someone to be sent there....and boy is their send off unlike anything I've ever heard about or witnessed myself. With money and privilege comes the opportunity to be buried in the most elaborate and pompous way you choose or your family so chooses for you. This book gave us all that...we learn about the final days...the prep it takes....religious traditions...snippets of stuff we never thought we always wanted to know about the work that goes into funeral planning and now that we do we are highly intrigued....at least I know I am. Elizabeth's perspective on the whole funeral business is written in a way that is witty and humorous. I thought I would cry more but I found myself laughing more times than not and I didn't feel bad about that. She gets to the point of it but she is not so raw and gritty that it becomes cringe worthy. Elizabeth is on a spiritual journey after her father dies...the funeral home takes her through much of it...keeps her sanity even through the craziness that it also provides...her mother not approving of her new line of work (let's face it, hardly anyone in her life approved of it.) It was taking a step down to who she was suppose to be but Elizabeth embraced it, thrived on it, put her all into it. She needed it. She put up with enough company politics, fellow employee jeers and prejudices, blood, sweat and tears to earn her place in the oh so un-fabulous life of funeral planning for the oh so fabulous. Most of all it brought her to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the woman she was having the most strain and disconnect with, her mother. It's refreshing to see the light at the end of the tunnel in this beautiful memoir.
If you are looking for a light, funny, witty, interesting read then give Good Mourning a try. I loved it....from the great but simple book cover that is so fitting to the story...all the way to it's journey and "end", it's truly a great read. Who knew the business of death would be so funny??!!
July 14, 2015
I want to thank Gallery Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy. The official release date is August 25th!
I've got to admit, I've always had a morbid curiosity about the inside workings of a funeral home. Having a few close relatives die when I was very young perhaps sparked my interest and I guess another reason why is because there isn't a lot of information out there about it. At least that is readily available and/or that I know about.
Elizabeth Meyer is a well to do lady who unexpectedly found herself working Crawford funeral home, the very funeral home that carried out her fathers funeral, not long after his death. This non-fiction, autobiography was a highly enjoyable read that told stories of the ridiculous amounts of money that those from the higher side of society will fork over for a final send off of a lost loved one. Not only that, but you'll here stories of picking up leaky bodies of the recently deceased, body preparations for funerals, mob funerals, missing brains, a missing BODY and a man that died that had two wives (!) and many other interesting stories.
All of this may sound morbid and depressing, but trust me, it's not. Sure, it has it's sad parts, but Elizabeth writes with a fun style and grace to her prose that it makes this an enjoyable read. She also had the decency to change the names and certain particulars of those that may be easy to figure out since Crawford Funeral home is one of the most known funeral homes in America that has been the final pit stop for such celebrities as Judy Garland, Biggie Smalls, and Heath Ledger, amongst many, many others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone that is curious about what really goes on after the heartbeat stops. I give this one a 4/5!
I've got to admit, I've always had a morbid curiosity about the inside workings of a funeral home. Having a few close relatives die when I was very young perhaps sparked my interest and I guess another reason why is because there isn't a lot of information out there about it. At least that is readily available and/or that I know about.
Elizabeth Meyer is a well to do lady who unexpectedly found herself working Crawford funeral home, the very funeral home that carried out her fathers funeral, not long after his death. This non-fiction, autobiography was a highly enjoyable read that told stories of the ridiculous amounts of money that those from the higher side of society will fork over for a final send off of a lost loved one. Not only that, but you'll here stories of picking up leaky bodies of the recently deceased, body preparations for funerals, mob funerals, missing brains, a missing BODY and a man that died that had two wives (!) and many other interesting stories.
All of this may sound morbid and depressing, but trust me, it's not. Sure, it has it's sad parts, but Elizabeth writes with a fun style and grace to her prose that it makes this an enjoyable read. She also had the decency to change the names and certain particulars of those that may be easy to figure out since Crawford Funeral home is one of the most known funeral homes in America that has been the final pit stop for such celebrities as Judy Garland, Biggie Smalls, and Heath Ledger, amongst many, many others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone that is curious about what really goes on after the heartbeat stops. I give this one a 4/5!
September 11, 2015
I think this is a great book! I have long been impressed with those who work in funeral homes assisting the bereaved, but didn't know much about what happens behind the scenes. The author, Elizabeth, comes from a privileged background and worked at an elite funeral home following the death of her father. She was able to approach funeral planning in a unique way due to her upbringing and her connections and this helped her be very successful in many ways. One way it did not help in her success was with many of her fellow funeral home employees, who were not as well off as her and were unfriendly and at times hostile towards her.
Throughout the book, Elizabeth comes across as someone who clearly cared about her work. She was not there because she had to be, she was there to make a difference in the lives of those who were grieving and make it a little bit easier on them in whatever way she could. This book gives us a glimpse of a true professional who found her calling in life.
I received this book as a First Reads winner on Goodreads.
Throughout the book, Elizabeth comes across as someone who clearly cared about her work. She was not there because she had to be, she was there to make a difference in the lives of those who were grieving and make it a little bit easier on them in whatever way she could. This book gives us a glimpse of a true professional who found her calling in life.
I received this book as a First Reads winner on Goodreads.
January 25, 2016
Quick & easy read, but a bit painful too - not the death part but the author's lack of substance. I guess my takeaway is a rich high-class society girl goes out gets job (the very thought!) and she's pretty awesome at this working thing (she's all about Aerosoles), and like she's totally over her jet-setting party days, because she's like now helping people grieve and she's making a difference in the world (why can't her high-society family just understand?!). And then guess what happens? Work actually begins to feel like work and she just can't take the drama of the funeral home anymore and so she goes off to plan funerals her way! Go Liz!
:/
I'm being catty and I rolled my eyes a lot while reading, but I still couldn't put it down. I'm dying to know how her family, friends and old co-workers (esp. Tony & Monica!) responded to this book - there's an odd, uncomfortable bluntness to her story and I'm struck by her "holier than thou" attitude.
:/
I'm being catty and I rolled my eyes a lot while reading, but I still couldn't put it down. I'm dying to know how her family, friends and old co-workers (esp. Tony & Monica!) responded to this book - there's an odd, uncomfortable bluntness to her story and I'm struck by her "holier than thou" attitude.
October 26, 2015
The reviews were more interesting to read than the actual book. Friends and family members could not understand why Elizabeth chose to work as a receptionist at a tony funeral parlor. As a rich, party girl - who didn't have to work, period - it made no sense to anyone as to why she would accept low union wages, long hours and complete disregard by her co-workers to help plan fancy funerals for the rich. Her explanation: as one of "them" (i.e the upper class), she was better able to know what the aggrieved family really needed and wanted for the final "party" of their loved ones. Elizabeth titled herself as planner, a designer and a deliverer for the Crawford Funeral Home.
Why didn't everyone love and respect her for her unselfish dedication to those who paid 6 figures for a funeral that made the society pages?
Why didn't everyone love and respect her for her unselfish dedication to those who paid 6 figures for a funeral that made the society pages?
Read
October 24, 2015Eh. I've read a bunch of funeral industry books - starting with Mitford. This is a gloss on the industry through the eyes of an upper east side high-society girl who asks for (and gets) a job at Frank Campbell a month after her father gets dispatched from there. She's kind of too-too, what with her fancy shoes, and I eye rolled through lots of it. But I have to say she redeemed herself at the end. She quit her job, went to business school and is still working In the funeral business. And lord knows the funeral biz needs some upheaval.
Also, and not that you asked, I'd like to be composted. Do Not Embalm Me.
Also, and not that you asked, I'd like to be composted. Do Not Embalm Me.
September 4, 2021
For someone who doesn't want to be referred to as "the spoiled rich girl" and be taken seriously she sure mentions brand names and her celebrity friends every chance she gets. It's as if Paris Hilton woke up one day and decided she wanted to work in a funeral home because she was bored. Then to top it off she wrote a book so she could act like she spent a whole year of her life "in the trenches" with the blue collar folk. Some of the book is a bit interesting but most of the time you spend hating author. I'm sure she's off now being a "death liason" to celebrities as she lives off her trust fund. Oh what a self starter she is!!!!
August 31, 2015
I enjoyed the book but I could have done without the name dropping. Meyer seemed to constantly remind how wealthy she was by discussing the brand of everything she wore such as Jimmy Choo shoes. I wanted to say give us more story and less reminders your school cost $40 thousand. a year.
I did enjoy the behind the story tales and would like to hear more.
I did enjoy the behind the story tales and would like to hear more.
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